Congress Leaders Slam PM Modi’s Short Manipur Visit Amid Ongoing Ethnic Violence
New Delhi: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram has hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his recent trip to Manipur. He accused the PM of not apologising for staying away from the violence-hit state for two years and questioned why the visit lasted just a few hours.
In a sharp post on X (formerly Twitter), Chidambaram pointed to the devastating 2023 Manipur riots. He wrote that 258 people died, 1,108 got injured, 532 places of worship faced damage, and around 60,000 people had to flee their homes. Thousands are still stuck in refugee camps. "For two years, Prime Minister Modi didn’t even bother to visit Manipur," he said.
Chidambaram added that during Saturday’s visit, Modi didn’t express any regret or say sorry for the delay. He mocked the PM’s announcements of development projects worth over Rs 7,300 crore in Churachandpur and Rs 1,200 crore in Imphal. "Can you buy the people of Manipur with these projects?" he asked.
This marks Modi’s first visit to Manipur since the ethnic clashes broke out in May 2023 between the Meitei and Kuki communities. The conflict has dragged on, causing widespread pain and displacement.
Fellow Congress MP Jairam Ramesh also criticised the PM’s brief stay. In his X post, Ramesh said Manipur’s people have suffered for 28 months, waiting patiently for the leader to show up. "He finally came today, but from landing to takeoff, he spent less than 5 hours in the state," he noted.
Ramesh highlighted how Modi finds time for election campaigns and global trips but seems to give Manipur so little attention. "It’s shockingly insensitive," he said, ending with a Hindi saying: "Der aaye, par durust nahi aaye" – meaning the visit came late and wasn’t enough.
On his part, PM Modi urged Manipur’s ethnic groups to drop violence and unite for peace during the visit. He spoke of a "new dawn of hope and confidence" rising in the Northeast state, while laying foundation stones for key projects to boost development.
The political row over the Manipur visit has sparked debates on the government’s response to the ethnic violence and relief efforts for affected communities.
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